The view at the front of the Madison College men's basketball bench will be a bit different than in years past. Following the resignation of Hall of Fame head coach Scott Vesterdahl following more than 14 years at the helm, longtime assistant Bill Kegler takes over in what will be his first ever head coaching position. To help in the transition, Kegler will turn to four returning players as the WolfPack also welcome 11 fresh faces to the program. It's a group that will try and build off a 10-19 (4-10 in the North Central Community College Conference) season that saw the 'Pack net seven of their wins in the second half of the season.

"Our team will need to find a balance between the effort and competitiveness needed to play at a high level,and still having fun as a team," noted Kegler, who spent four seasons as an assistant under Vesterdahl before taking over the program in August. "Our ceiling is very high if we are willing to work every day towards our team goals."

Leading the WolfPack into the 2016-17 season will be sophomore guard/forward Ethan Lurquin. The Poynette, Wisconsin, native joined the team after the semester break and went on to lead the team with 17.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. A transfer from Loras (IA) College (NCAA Division III) where he played football, Lurquin earned second team All-N4C and All-Region IV honors despite playing in just 18 games.

"Ethan is a versatile scorer who has improved in the off season," boasts Kegler. "We are looking for continued improvement this season."

The rest of the returners include guards Chase Ramos and Zach Adkins, as well as forward Joel O'Donnell. Collectively, the trio brings back 6.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists a game.

The group of newscomers is highlighted by six guards, two forwards, and two centers. 

"Our newcomers are a great group of individuals who have meshed well with our returners," said Kegler. "We have a lot of growth in front of us, but this group is capable of a lot of great things this season."

Kegler has begun instituting his philosophies upon this group, establishing that his program will be one based upon taking care of the basketball and playing tough defense. The first year coach has stated the on-court goals for the season to be committing less than 15 turnovers and holding teams to under 60 points a game.

Madison College opens the 2016-17 season on Tuesday, November 1 at McHenry County College (NJCAA Division II) in Crystal Lake, Illinois. That game has a 7:15 p.m. tip time. It's the first meeting between the two programs since 1989 when the Scots defeated the then-Trojans, 79-68.

The home opener at Redsten Gymnasium is Wednesday, November 9 against Fox Valley Technical College, a night that will also double as Parent's Night. The WolfPack will begin N4C play on January 4, 2017 at Triton College.

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